Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Getting Started

Welcome! I'll be updating throughout the summer about my experience as a NASPA graduate intern. Hopefully I'll be able to give some insight into the organization, as well as current issues in student affairs. I just finished my first year of graduate school in the Higher Education Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and I graduated from The University of Montana (UM) in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology.

So, why NASPA? As an undergrad I worked in the student affairs division at UM in a variety of capacities. I coordinated the University Center Multicultural Alliance, acted as Service-Learning liaison for the Drama/Dance Department, and took a year away from classes to serve as an AmeriCorps team leader on campus. Now, as a grad student, I work in the Illini Union Office of Volunteer Programs at UIUC supervising undergraduate student employees. I've had great experiences in student affairs and am passionate about addressing issues of access and equity on campus, so NASPA seemed like a natural fit for a summer internship in the field.

I'm looking forward to working on projects like the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL), doing some archiving (I told my mom my anthropology degree would come in handy some day...), and many more. I also look forward to hearing from you. If you have questions or issues you'd like to see addressed, please leave me a comment!